74 figure. Kress became fascinated by the possibilIties of permutation, and settled down to a nIce, complicated haggle. A gross of tablecloths and more than a gross of mufflers offer the most beguiling vistas in that direction if you care to study them, and Kress studIed them. He studied until the poor Levantine was perspiring from his effort to supply fig- ures that wouldn't bankrupt him; he end ured agonies of indecision, of quick revision, of abrupt estimates, and finally he lost touch with reality altogether. Kress enjoyed the game. At last, the virtuoso casually asked what the peddler would take for the lot. The peddler gasped out a figure and, suddenly re- covering his business sense, dumped his stock in Kress's lap. Kress, not sure how to argue this point, paid him. The ped- dler, suddenly out of business, walked away. Kress found himself with a gross of tablecloths and an infinity of mufflers on his hands. There is something in '-- Kress's nature that cannot resist a gross of anything. He sent his new stock to his storehouse in downtown New York, where it still reposes. In his interminable hagglIngs with Duveen over batches of paintings and miscellaneous art objects, Kress tried to confuse him with swift permutatIons, as he had the Levantine ("How much for the Houdon bust wIthout the nine pictures? How much for the nine pic- tures without the bust?") But Duveen had a firmer grasp than the Levantine, and a firmer grasp than Kress. Kress > prepared himself carefully for his sessions with Ouveen. Like all the other big clien ts, he was a slow talker and a slow decider. He had photographs taken of the pictures he was considering, and pondered them endlessly . Year after year, he- went to Europe and trudged the galleries. He was eternally asking questions of anyone whose opinion he valued about the pictures he thought he might buy. "Why is this picture so good?" he would ask. "Why is it better than the- picture by the same artist that Su-and-So has? What makes it worth so much? I'm told it's been repainted. .. II: , :4j Which part has been repain ted? Has that cloud in the upper left-hand corner been repainted or is that the original cloud? What about that flying angel in the upper right-hand corner? Has she been repainted? With all that repainting, should I pay so much?" The interroga- tion went on continuously, not only in galleries but in his apartment, on walks, and on boats. Duveen put up with that. He also put up with Kress's exception- ally wary nature. One day, to allay any suspicion in Kress's mind that Mel- OT wTlte MCKettTl.ck-Wz.llwms Inc., 1350 Broadway, New York 1 h h 1 h on, t oug no onger on t e scene, was mal( e min e a MCI(ettricl( ":'. ":':: : .j;. , \>>::" ,. ' "Î'v <to , * '<' ' , .. .' \ <to . l" . , }.. . .:: .-)f ;., . .:-:x:....i.-. .,:,> , .' <to:; ".::..=- ' , ,. . .'" : ' :..." .. . ........ . ..... .::" YC .':-.. ..;,. . TIE-PATTERNED RAYON SURAH, crisp and neat, for a jacket dress that's beautifully constructed to see you through to the end. Good clear colors: red, green or blue with white; charcoal with red. Sizes 10 to 18, $14.95. A MCKettrick maternity you can order by mail or phone from LORD & TAYLOR In New York MARSHALL FIELD & CO in Chicago NOVEMDER , 1951 ......--........--...........--..........-..... Incomparable.. . !æ>.?t . i-\ 'U tf, "<\\'"F, 9'? ,w 1># ".... .:.. -=-:r" ." S ...:-"::: ,.:. ... 1: . -... .: ; .,:.. '" In ' f. .-. . '"1" . >'f..':.:.:..:. . . .... *' ::. '" ., ' .. mJII II'. , Ii J.:: .....-.- .";!. .. J This rare George III Irish silver epergne with mirrored tray is a masterpiece of beauty and desIgn. Made by Robert Williams in Dublin, circa 1770. Tray 19" x 15U"; cen- terpiece 12 J J b.igh. One of the extraordinary pieces 1n the James Robinson collection of outstanding antiques and qual,ty reproduchons 2fames hin5on 716 FIFTH AVE., AT 56TH ST., N. Y.19 AntIque English Silver and China ReproductIons '--""' - Æ --. r' '_. -+ - - ;Y;-\: & .!\f! ;- i1('"If" # ';I I ,.'\ :f / , :-, .) " - } (6 '_:;:--.::- 0'"'" b ; ..._<./ 7 . -.; . ; C "-.J ) . - r J"'") --- . In the Napa VaJJey,near San Francisco,nestles "Beaulieu" lovely vineyard-estate of the de Latour family. Pleasant-tasting, delicate BV wlOes are among the world's f,ne vIntages Pour for your next dinner guests BV Riesling, Cabernet Sauvlgnon or PlOot No" R J { 9' Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford, CaliforOia SERVING CHEESE BLINTZES with Sour Cream